Parsons Introduces Contactless, Mobile Health Screening
Parsons Corp. [PSN] has introduced DetectWise, an integrated touchless suite of biometric solutions that will monitor real-time health and facilitate the safe movement of people in public areas as countries and localities begin reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. DetectWise includes mobile health screening kiosks, and modular testing and decontamination facilities for use in high traffic areas such as airport, shopping malls, stadiums and corporate buildings to keep people safe. DetectWise will identify high-risk individuals so that steps can be taken to prevent them from mingling with the general population. The company will begin deploying kiosks across the U.S. within the next few weeks. The solution consists of sensors and cameras to measure body temperature, heart rate and respiration rate to help customers understand if someone is symptomatic for the virus.
Sandia Researchers Develop Formula for Radiation Detecting Plastic to Prevent Fogging
Sandia National Laboratories says its researchers have identified a new formula for plastic used in radiation portal monitors, a change that prevents “fogging,” which reduces the lifetime of the plastics. Analysts that use polyvinyl toluene (PVT) plastic noticed that the radiation detection performance would begin to degrade after being in the field several years. They saw what appeared to be fog droplets forming inside the material. The droplets scattered light from the glowing molecules and prevented some of the light from reaching the detectors, reducing the detector’s sensitivity over time. Researchers analyzing the problem discovered microscale defects in the plastic caused by condensed water absorbed from the air. The researchers added one ingredient to the current PVT formula, a commercially-available additive that can interact favorably with the water and plastic matrix. The change requires a minor modification to the process for manufacturing the PVT used in the RPMs.
Xator Acquires Government Solutions Provider InCadence
Xator Corp. has acquired InCadence Strategic Solutions Corp., providing it with capabilities in biometrics and identity management, big data solutions, tactical communications, and operational intelligence. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. InCadence, which is based in Northern Virginia, is on a number of contracts including the Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services, General Services Administration Alliant 2 Small Business, the Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), the System of Systems Consortium OTA, GSA IT Schedule 70 and others. Xator, which is also based in Northern Virginia, said the acquisition reinforces its position in providing C4ISR, national security and intelligence solutions to the federal government.
CBP’s Northern Border RVSS Includes 22 Sites
Customs and Border Protection’s Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) on the Northern Border includes 22 sites monitoring a 360-miles stretch separated from water from Buffalo, N.Y., to Detroit and north to Port Huron, Mich. The RVSS sites consist of high-resolution day/night cameras and radar driven by artificial intelligence that can detect and monitor vessels from miles away as they leave the Canadian shoreline and warn operators when a vessel enters an alert area, the agency says. Before the NBRVSS was deployed, Border Patrol boat crews could only inspect suspicious vessels they came upon but with the surveillance capability they are now directed to those vessels. Operators can zoom into a suspect vessel, giving pursuing agents valuable information about the vessel and its crew in addition to speed, direction and location. The information is then relayed to the patrol boat.
Aware Software Selected for European Border Security Deployment
Aware, Inc. [AWRE] says its CaptureSuite software solution has been selected by a European government for deployment at the country’s borders. The country’s border agency has incorporated the CaptureSuite fingerprint capture software into its traveler processing systems to ensure rapid capture and minimize queue buildup and ensure optimal quality of the captured fingerprints, says Aware. CaptureSuite includes three Aware fingerprint SDKs that apply a variety of fingerprint biometric algorithms to enable rapid, high quality fingerprint capture and quality assurance that is independent of the capture device needed. The deployment of CaptureSuite follows a recent deployment of the same software solution by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency at U.S. land border crossings.
Coast Guard Certifies Northrop Grumman SeaFIND Inertial Navigation System
Northrop Grumman [NOC] says the Coast Guard has type approved the company’s SeaFIND inertial navigation system, which formally certifies its use as a shipboard gyrocompass system for nations that need the International Maritime Organization’s compliance. Northrop Grumman says that the type approval also means that SeaFIND meets requirements as an inertial navigator and navigation data distribution system for ships. “In addition to SeaFIND’s low size, weight and power, affordability and reliable performance in a GPS denied environment, being type approved makes it very attractive to customers throughout the world,” says Todd Leavitt, vice president for Maritime Systems & Integration at Northrop Grumman. “This certification demonstrates that the system is compliant with a common standard and benchmark.”